Sunday, May 8, 2011

Pink Floyd, the fountain in Vondel Park & My old flatmate.

Today was a really nice sunny day - the rays of the Father Aton bringing love & light.

So, I decided to spend the afternoon in Vondel park & I had a particular spot where I was headed - there's a huge fountain that sprays about 20 metres into the air & I find it really relaxing to watch (There's something about watching/listening to running water - stream, fountain, river).

I arrived @ the park yes, of course it was packed! Tourists, Locals with they're Children, Dogs & Cyclists (of course). People on mobile phones talking loudly in all languages! (I used to think I'd prefer not to understand what they're saying but actually someone shouting loudly in a foreign language you don't understand on a mobile while you try to chill is just well, annoying, enough said) but, I found a nice piece of space to myself.

I'm @ the park watching the Honey's - some of the Dutch Ladies are awesome - long, tall all with these little teenagers ar$es (even when they're 50;-) as they've been riding a bike everyday all of their lives (Sorry, can't help it they're all over the place!).

Anyway, I digress.

So, I'm enjoying the Sun like you do just staring into the fountain & Whoooosh I got a flashback (yep, we're gonna go back, way back.....15/16 years ago not sure I think I was about 27/28 years old) to when I took my first contract abroad - I was working for TMI an Italian Telecomms company with an office in Amsterdam - we used to call it Too Many Italians;-)

After smoking a Dutch cigar I had been listening to Pink Floyd's Darkside of the Moon & watching some birds flying round the fountain.

As I relaxed the Music & I just drifted Ahhhh I zoned out man, 'twas lovely.

When I came back it was akin to having some sort of revelation - this was the first time I had lived in a different country, on my own & I just felt like the Music was giving me the vibe of "New country, new you.....Explore & enjoy"

After this moment I felt like the Universe had spoken in a different way, sort of like a different type of Music can have a different vibe - yes, I know I had a smoke but, I still get this sort of vibe even now when I'm stone cold sober & that's why for me, Music is the voice of the Universe.

Anyway after finishing the album I hurriedly called my close friend Pete I had to share this with someone!

Now, Pete was a musician & Studio Engineer who I had shared a flat with in West Hampstead (not lived with, shared;-) it was still a time when house, drum & bass wasn't in the mainstream so he was involved in running an independent little label called "Engineers without fears".

Sometimes he'd come back with a tape from the studio really late @ night (CD's were still a novelty then) he'd wake me all excited like a big kid & say
"Mate, Mate you gotta listen to this I just recorded it in the studio".

For a moment I'd get pissed but, then I knew that Pete was a Purveyor of the finest beats & other fine quality music. I just knew it was going to be cool & many times it was "WoW" & we'd raise our hands & high 5 each other;-)

I really like his music. He made an album called Future Retro it has a track called Hypersleep that after all this time still kicks for me everytime I hear it. Oh yeah & another track called Get Carter (Wicked, wicked, wicked!).

"Ahhhh some of the Phattest beats in all of Babylon".

He introduced me to Alex Reece but, when he said Pink Floyd & showed me the album and yes, I admit for a moment it caught my interest (well, it did have a little flashing red light on the box!) but I had a sort of mental block against rock or anything that sounded remotely like it & just said "Nah, No way, mate I'm not having it" - funny as I remember this like it just happened last week.

So Anyway after he had picked up the phone I said
"Pete, Pete! Pink Floyd Man!! you gotta listen to this"
he just said "Mate, I'm really happy for you, that you've finally got there, but I did it 10 years ago! Now, go do some Jimmy"
"Who?" said I.
"Jimmy Man, Jimmy Hendrix go have a listen & come back to me, Mate".

Although I was deflated (Well, The realisation that I wasn't the only person or the first person to zone out on Pink Floyd & have a Eureka moment) it made me laugh as Pete didn't actually say "yeah right whatever" he was too nice for that - but instead he threw me another peanut.

By the way, he was right - I f#%^*€$ tripped out on "Jimmy" when I heard it......Thanks Pete;-)